Improvement in keys for piano-fortes, organs



E. P. NEEDHAM. I Keys for Piano-Fortes, Organs, &c.

No. 140,528, Patentedlulyi,l8.73.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

ELIAS P. NEEDHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN KEYS FOR PIANO-FORTES, ORGANS, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,528, dated July 1,1873; application filed May 2, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS P. NEEDHAM, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented an Improved Key for Musical In struments, ofwhich the following is a specification:

This invention consists in a key for organs, piano fortes, and othermusical instruments having a rounded front edge and a veneer extendingalong its top, and over and along its front, whereby not only is arichness of appearance given to the key, but greater facility ofperformance in certain passages is afforded.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a longitudinal section of thekey-board of a piano-forte or organ, having its keys made according tomy invention, and Fig. 2 is atop view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

A A represent the white keys of a piano forte or organ, and B B theblack keys. The keys A A have their front upper edges rounded, and theirivory veneers a a are made in a single piece, and extend continuouslyalong their tops and are bent over their rounded edges, and cover alsotheir fronts.

The appearance of the notes thus made is much richer than those commonlyused, and moreover, owing to the absence of sharp corners at the sidesof the front edges, facility is afl'orded to the performer in somepassages, especially in runs and trilling.

The ivory veneer has to be softened to enable it to be bent over therounded edge of the keys, and this softeningl accomplish as follows: Theivory is soaked in a solution composed of one part, by weight, ofsulphurous acid, and ten parts, by weight, of water, and is allowed toremain till thoroughly softened. Then it is secured to the bodies of thekeys in the usual manner by some adhesive substance, and is held till ithardens again.

What I claim as my invention is- A key for organs, piano-fortes, andother musical instruments, having its upper front edge rounded off, anda veneer extending from its top continuously over such rounded edge anddown its front, essentially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

E. P. NEEDHAM.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, MICHAEL RYAN.

